Android Messages To Receive Dual-SIM RCS Support & More

Android Messages will be updated with RCS support for dual-SIM smartphones and some additional features, as suggested by a recent teardown of the app performed by Android Police. Google has been pushing for a global adoption of Rich Communication Services for several years now, having continuously debuted initiatives and partnerships meant to facilitate the expansion of the technology that's envisioned as a more capable alternative to SMS. The Android platform as a whole already supports RCS and Google's messaging app that received a rebranding earlier this year is also compatible with the standard, though the Alphabet-owned company is now seemingly working on further strengthening this particular aspect of the mobile service.

As suggested by some code discovered in the 2.7 build of Android Messages, Google is developing a feature that would differentiate between SIM cards in the context of RCS communications, allowing users to only send such enhanced messages via one of the two cards used by their smartphones if they so choose to. The code strings don't go into many more details on the matter and it remains to be seen how the functionality will ultimately work in practice, provided that it's ever fully implemented into the Android app. The same portion of the code also references the ability to see when your recipients are typing an RCS message and using the standard over a Wi-Fi network, with both of those features already being widely supported by other iterations of the technology.

The 2.7 version of Android Messages also hints at a new message counter that will apparently be more effective at visually differentiating between communication sent at different times, consequently providing you with a clearer message history, especially in cases when you or your recipient send multiple messages in quick succession, then follow up on them at a later time. Finally, the code found in the latest build of Android Messages contains a Google Wallet icon which is understood to be related to the upcoming ability to send, receive, and request money via the app. References to the mobile service's native support for the money transfer solution were first uncovered in Android Messages 2.5 but there's still no indication of when the tech giant is planning to officially launch the feature. The revised build of Android Messages that also debuts Google Duo calling support can be downloaded by referring to the Play Store banner below.

Dominik started at AndroidHeadlines in 2016 and is the Head Editor of the site today. He’s approaching his first full decade in the media industry, with his background being primarily in technology, gaming, and entertainment. These days, his focus is more on the political side of the tech game, as well as data privacy issues, with him looking at both of those through the prism of Android. Contact him at [email protected]